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COG adopts WFRC committee roster, spotlights Mid Valley Highway, gravel and depot easement cost
Summary
The Council of Governments adopted the WFRC transportation committee appointments for 2025 and dedicated discussion time to regional priorities including Mid Valley Highway, SR-36 congestion, gravel supply concerns, and an Army Depot easement whose invoice was finalized at under $10,000.
The Tooele County Council of Governments voted to adopt the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) transportation committee appointments for 2025 and spent extended discussion urging stronger representation and advocacy on regional transportation priorities, particularly the Mid Valley Highway.
Council members moved and seconded the motion to accept the WFRC committee members as presented and the motion carried on a voice vote. The appointed roster includes Eric Stromberg as chair of the COG Transportation Subcommittee, and committee members listed in the meeting record as John Olsen, Neil Critchlow, Debbie Winn, Kathleen Von Hatten and Craig Smith (as substituted during discussion).
During the discussion, multiple members said Tooele County must press to be a higher priority in WFRC and state transportation planning. A member said Mid Valley Highway and State Route 36 must be treated as priorities; another member said SR-36 traffic has grown so much that some drivers take a longer route on Mid Valley to save time. The group discussed bringing lobbyists and local officials to the state legislature and WFRC meetings to increase the county's profile.
Participants also raised concerns about gravel supply and regional planning. One member said Salt Lake County has run short of gravel and that quarry traffic could shift into Tooele County; members urged coordination so Tooele County producers and local officials are part of gravel-supply conversations.
On a related infrastructure item, the group discussed an easement through the Army Depot needed for Mid Valley Highway. The meeting record shows that an earlier appropriation request had asked for $500,000 to secure the easement; meeting speakers reported the final invoice from the Army Depot to process the easement work was "just under $10,000," covering staff wages, rather than the previously cited larger amount. Council members asked that any unspent appropriation (the meeting referenced roughly $480,000 remaining) be made available to advance the next project steps, and staff were directed to pursue that request with the appropriate commission.
Council members also touched on related items: active transportation committee participation, public-safety exercises (active-shooter training), mutual-aid and emergency planning, and a compliment from the film commission about Tooele County's ease of permitting for location shoots.
The WFRC appointments were adopted and council members emphasized ongoing advocacy with UDOT, WFRC, state legislators and the Army Depot to move Mid Valley Highway forward.
